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NASB | Acts 8:2 Some devout men buried Stephen, and made loud lamentation over him. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Acts 8:2 ¶ Some devout men buried Stephen, and mourned greatly over him [expressing a personal sense of loss]. |
Subject: The Suffering of the Church |
Bible Note: "The suffering of the church is used by God to reposition the missionary troops in places they might not have otherwise gone. This is clearly the effect that Luke wants us to see in the story of the martyrdom of Stephen and the persecution that came after it. God spurs the church into missionary service by the suffering she endures. Therefore, we must not judge too quickly the apparent setbacks and tactical defeats of the church. If you see things with the eyes of God, the Master strategist, what you see in every setback is the positioning of troops for a greater advance and a greater display of His wisdom, power, and love." --John Piper |